Gibraltar Puzzle

[fremlin]

I don't know where to post this attempt to solve a family mystery and I ask for forgiveness if it is in the wrong place.

By way of introduction and explanation I am proud to attach a copy of a letter published in the London Evening Standard and St. James's Gazette on 27 August 1914 regarding my grandfather and his brothers. 

Their father  - a long-serving ex-Regular had died in 1902 (the mother having pre-deceased him in 1901) leaving 11 orphans ranging from 22 years old to a baby of two. Not surprisingly the boys gravitated towards the Army and the girls into domestic service.  Five of the lads were in the Regular Army, including two in the Grenadier Guards who were killed in the first battle of Ypres.

The mystery has always been the youngest one (born in 1900) who - according to the anonymous correspondent - was "only waiting until old enough to enlist". Nothing is known of him after he was discharged from St. Joseph's Orphanage, Orpington in 1915 to some sort of domestic service post in Ashford, Middlesex.

However, his name appears in the attached document relating to the dispersal of his late brother's war gratuity and assets in November 1920. It appears to show that the sum of £1/2/11 was to be sent to Charles Thomas Richardson, the address apparently being "acs C.P. Gibral.tar".

Can anybody throw any light on this or make any suggestions as to what it might mean? I am guessing that Charles, then aged 19, was in the forces in Gibraltar, whether it be Army or Navy?

[ss002d6252]

C.P. Gibraltor. is likely to be Command Paymaster, Gibraltar.

 

It would certainly suggest he was in the forces.

 

Craig

[fremlin]

Thanks. That's a helpful start. I wonder how to take that forward....perhaps I should try searching for possible Army or Navy records for that era. I assume he would not have been an active participant in WWI if he was born on 2 August 1918?.

[ss002d6252]

1 hour ago, fremlin said:

Thanks. That's a helpful start. I wonder how to take that forward....perhaps I should try searching for possible Army or Navy records for that era. I assume he would not have been an active participant in WWI if he was born on 2 August 1918?.

Presumably you meant 1900 rather than 1918 ?

Craig

[Terry_Reeves]

Fremlin, can you post the name of the man to whom your first illustration refers?

 

TR

[fremlin]

The illustration relates to the gratuity of CQMS George Leswell Richardson of 1/Grenadier Guards but the person I am pursuing is Charles Thomas Richardson who was born in Maidstone, Kent, on 2 August 1900 (NOT 1918 ! - sorry). I understand that conscription was still in force until 1919 so I imagine that Charles would have been conscripted in 1918. How long was conscription for though? If he is still in Gibraltar in 1922 maybe he had signed up as a regular? 

My efforts to track him down in service records have so far failed - he does not appear in the list of RN ratings which is my hunch as Gibraltar might suggest that and he ended up working on Dover docks. I cannot send off to MOD Glasgow for information when I don't know which service he was in, let alone service number etc.

[ss002d6252]

27 minutes ago, fremlin said:

The illustration relates to the gratuity of CQMS George Leswell Richardson of 1/Grenadier Guards but the person I am pursuing is Charles Thomas Richardson who was born in Maidstone, Kent, on 2 August 1900 (NOT 1918 ! - sorry). I understand that conscription was still in force until 1919 so I imagine that Charles would have been conscripted in 1918. How long was conscription for though? If he is still in Gibraltar in 1922 maybe he had signed up as a regular? 

My efforts to track him down in service records have so far failed - he does not appear in the list of RN ratings which is my hunch as Gibraltar might suggest that and he ended up working on Dover docks. I cannot send off to MOD Glasgow for information when I don't know which service he was in, let alone service number etc.

Post 1920 service records with the MOD have #6191526 Richardson (date is YY/MM/DD)

 

11005

ADT000514417

File

6191526

NULL

RICHARDSON CT

NULL

NULL

1900-08-02

 

6191526 would part of the Middlesex regiment range.

 

Craig

[FROGSMILE]

The Middlesex Regiment 4th Battalion were part of the garrison in Gibraltar in 1919-1921, whence they returned to Britain in 1922 to be disbanded.

It had been one of several regiments associated with large conurbations that was raised from two to four battalions during the 2nd Boer War and the defence retrenchment of 1922 led to all the extra battalions being disbanded in that year.

The regiment had always recruited large numbers from the suburbs where Middlesex met the bounds of the City of London.

 

acs CP Gibraltar = accounts Command Pay Office Gibraltar.

Edited 30 April , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[fremlin]

This illustrates why the Great War Forum is so brilliant ! Encylopaedic knowledge of a range of subjects and research procedures, and a willingness to share it. Thank you so much for apparently breaking down a brick wall. I don't know whether he would have been a conscript or - like his father and brothers - had signed up as a regular, but presumably this will be revealed if the MOD in Glasgow still has his records.

Thanks to Craig, Frogsmile and all those people on the Forum who go out of their way to help others.

[travers61]

This may not make much difference, but I read the comment as:

 

acos 7  C.P. Gibral.ta

 

To apply for his service record you will probably not need a death certificate as he was born over 116 years ago, so his full name & the detail supplied by Craig in post 7 should be sufficent. Try using the next of kin form in this link:

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

[fremlin]

Thanks.

I have sent off my application form with death certificate and a £30 cheque to Glasgow, with fingers crossed, although I suspect that will get uncomfortable as I fear it will be a month or three before I get a reply.

[fremlin]

A belated thank you to the good folks who solved the mystery, which I asked for help on in April 2020. Following the lead that this chap would likely have been in the Middlesex Regt. I made application to APC Glasgow and I received his records today, only 17 months later (I honestly thought it would take longer given COVID) which told me that he followed in the family tradition of being a career soldier and when he was let go by the Middlesex Regt. in 1922 as his services were "no longer required on reduction of establishment" he immediately re-enlisted with the Lincolnshire Regiment for another 12 years.

That has filled a 20 year gap in his life for the family history. so once again thanks to the Forum and its knowledgeable and helpful contributors.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Well done Fremlin, and to all who guided you along the journey.